Player Watch #21: Noah Balta

[guruisatiger]

Should've been moved there over a month ago.

18 months ago

 

[guruisatiger]

I wish I could be ****ed going back in this thread and calling those who argued the point that his best role has always been ruck - forward .

Agree

 

[Morro]

Plenty of us wanted him in the ruck, but the flow on effect of him also going forward is massive.

Lefau has the speed to apply pressure which allows us to play the extra tall.

Lynch being selfless at the moment allows so much flexibility.

 

[Cdog71]

Balta as a defender is hard to move 1v1 but I think when he’s at his best down there as an interception marking player but we need really good structure for that and he has to be able to play on instinct, we haven’t been able to do that.
Vlaustins third quarter was awesome yesterday, he was marking the ball again.
Balta in the Ruck or playing fwd he gets to run his own race a lot more.
It’s working, what we need is another tall defender now to cover if needed.

 

[Profop]

The small problem when Nank is back is that we can’t really afford for either of them to fill the low TOG that the second ruck is playing at the moment

Not sure how they balance that. More of Balta forward makes us very tall unless we drop Lefau or Faull

 

[prodigy]

Been really impressive the past couple of weeks. Its fun to watch.
We are really in the infancy of what it looks like with Balta in the ruck. As he learns more about the craft and his opponents who knows what his ceiling could be.

Makes me ponder our medium to long term ruck strategy.
I still want HVH but if you told me two weeks ago that our short term ruck issue would be solved from within, I would have sent you to a mental asylum.

 

[juss]

The small problem when Nank is back is that we can’t really afford for either of them to fill the low TOG that the second ruck is playing at the moment

Not sure how they balance that. More of Balta forward makes us very tall unless we drop Lefau or Faull

Yze plays to his ways. Despite Balta probably looking more influential there, he'll likely revert to Nank back in the ruck.

 

[_DBF_]

Nank in the ruck. Find a way to make Balta ruck from the back. Needs to be our second ruck, needs to have stints forwards.

 

[Jammo1111]

As numerous of us have suggested over the last few years, the only position that Balta can play and use his innate abilities is ruck/ forward. He is as close to luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

24

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

as is possible. He is too erratic for full back. His potential is untapped still.

 

[Bojangles17]

Balta as a defender is hard to move 1v1 but I think when he’s at his best down there as an interception marking player but we need really good structure for that and he has to be able to play on instinct, we haven’t been able to do that.
Vlaustins third quarter was awesome yesterday, he was marking the ball again.
Balta in the Ruck or playing fwd he gets to run his own race a lot more.
It’s working, what we need is another tall defender now to cover if needed.

Looked to me that the spell in the ruck has put some pep in Balta step , realizing the huge talents he has in his kit bag . Not many players can do what he can. Keep him in this role

 

[Bojangles17]

As numerous of us have suggested over the last few years, the only position that Balta can play and use his innate abilities is ruck/ forward. He is as close to luke Jackson as is possible. He is too erratic for full back. His potential is untapped still.

Damned right and don’t be surprised if rival clubs try and prize him off us as his talents are rare. Luckily he’s contracted and he’s important to us

 

[kozi]

18 months ago

18 years ago

 

[tiger_tough]

Highest rated player of the round

 

[juss]

Worried Yze is going to send him back to defence, especially when Nank comes back

 

[richoplzbreed]

“It’s a funny one with Noah. We know that he can do that [play forward and ruck], but we know that his best footy is probably down back......... straight from Yze's mouth. Noah has been bloody disappointing ever since he signed that long term deal as our highest paid player. He wouldn't have been rated in the top 200 players in any game all year and after getting the highest Champion Data rating of the round and Max 10 coaches votes Uzi still thinks he should play him down back. Fmd. All that evidence and he can't admit he's been wrong. We're desperate for a Ruck and someone to give the hard up fans something to get excited about. He'll probably bring Sampson in and send Balta to full back this week.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2012400/balta-rises-to-the-responsibility

 

[Hoos]

Worried Yze is going to send him back to defence, especially when Nank comes back

That's exactly what he will do, as well as move MacAuliffe back to a wing this week because Taranto is back.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Hoos]

He wouldn't have been rated in the top 200 players in any game all year and after getting the highest Champion Data rating of the round and Max 10 coaches votes Uzi still thinks he should play him down back. Fmd. All that evidence and he can't admit he's been wrong.

If that happens, there's a problem with our coaching staff as a whole. They couldn't possibly be that stupid.

 

[Charlie Pannam]

If that happens, there's a problem with our coaching staff as a whole. They couldn't possibly be that stupid.

If it happens ( Balta and/or McAullife ) we’ve absolutely lost the plot.
Yze is more stubborn and stupid than any of us thought and is playing favourites ahead of player development.
Having said that I’d be amazed if it happened

 

[fargothegreat]

Surely it would only help Nank to be able to manage his game time a bit more.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

“It’s a funny one with Noah. We know that he can do that [play forward and ruck], but we know that his best footy is probably down back......... straight from Yze's mouth. Noah has been bloody disappointing ever since he signed that long term deal as our highest paid player. He wouldn't have been rated in the top 200 players in any game all year and after getting the highest Champion Data rating of the round and Max 10 coaches votes Uzi still thinks he should play him down back. Fmd. All that evidence and he can't admit he's been wrong. We're desperate for a Ruck and someone to give the hard up fans something to get excited about. He'll probably bring Sampson in and send Balta to full back this week.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2012400/balta-rises-to-the-responsibility

as ridiculous as it sounds i would not be surprised at all. yze has the players he likes and their imaginary best position on field and he will not be swayed. also took 8 rounds to get short to not kick it directly to the oppo 60m away and recognise tom brown is a much smarter user of the footy and should be the primary distributor.

 

[CASEYS9420]

I honestly think it took Dimma and now Yze way too long to realize how to utilize Balta, Yze needs to scrap any idea of locking Balta into a position, hes a genuine utility player that needs to be moved where we most need him, quarter by quarter, game by game. His athleticism can be used all over the ground, use it. His weaknesses are brain fades and a lack of footy iq in the key position roles, I think we've seen enough footy from him now to realize this is just who he is, change his roles and keep him engaged.

 

[Morro]

I honestly think it took Dimma and now Yze way too long to realize how to utilize Balta, Yze needs to scrap any idea of locking Balta into a position, hes a genuine utility player that needs to be moved where we most need him, quarter by quarter, game by game. His athleticism can be used all over the ground, use it. His weaknesses are brain fades and a lack of footy iq in the key position roles, I think we've seen enough footy from him now to realize this is just who he is, change his roles and keep him engaged.

When Yze arrived he literally said he sees Balta as a Luke Jackson type, not sure after the last 2 weeks he can deny it anymore despite saying his best form is down back

 

[Muddiemoose]

When Yze arrived he literally said he sees Balta as a Luke Jackson type, not sure after the last 2 weeks he can deny it anymore despite saying his best form is down back

Might come down to consistency?

Baltas form as a ruck forward has always kind of fluctuated, he’s had some amazing games but also some stinkers where he is a complete non factor

Compared to his backline work where the baseline is always above average to some real exceptional games

Granted due to all kinds of factors depending on the season he has also played a lot more footy down back so he’s had the chance to learn the role better

Hopefully he can continue his current form line in this role to essentially make it impossible to swing him back again

 

[juss]

“It’s a funny one with Noah. We know that he can do that [play forward and ruck], but we know that his best footy is probably down back......... straight from Yze's mouth. Noah has been bloody disappointing ever since he signed that long term deal as our highest paid player. He wouldn't have been rated in the top 200 players in any game all year and after getting the highest Champion Data rating of the round and Max 10 coaches votes Uzi still thinks he should play him down back. Fmd. All that evidence and he can't admit he's been wrong. We're desperate for a Ruck and someone to give the hard up fans something to get excited about. He'll probably bring Sampson in and send Balta to full back this week.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2012400/balta-rises-to-the-responsibility

I really struggled with that response. The bloke was just BOG, wouldn't the plan be "hey we're going to look at this more moving forward and it might be a new role for him".

If we've found gold by accident, why not cash in?

 

[Morro]

Might come down to consistency?

Baltas form as a ruck forward has always kind of fluctuated, he’s had some amazing games but also some stinkers where he is a complete non factor

Compared to his backline work where the baseline is always above average to some real exceptional games

Granted due to all kinds of factors depending on the season he has also played a lot more footy down back so he’s had the chance to learn the role better

Hopefully he can continue his current form line in this role to essentially make it impossible to swing him back again

Possibly mate, but since the ruck rules changed, he is even more built for it, and I hope he sticks with it for now atleast.